In Kazan, where these "international" competitions are held, Russia wins by a colossal margin, with 239 medals won in three days.
According to statistics on the "BRICS Games" website, Russia has already received 112 gold medals, with Belarus in second place with 19 medals. The third place is occupied by China with 17 medals.
The reason for such a colossal success of Russia is far not in the skill of athletes, but in the lack of competition.
For example, Russian synchronized swimmer Alexander Maltsev took first place in the free program at the BRICS Games in Kazan. He was the only participant of the discipline.
A day earlier Maltsev took gold in the technical program - there he was opposed by an athlete from Thailand Kantinan Adisaisiributr.
As the athlete told the Kremlin media, he "does not feel discomfort due to the lack of competition".
Only two athletes, both from Russia, competed in the 10-meter tower jumping discipline. Some disciplines don't even have three competitors to fill the podium.
A week before the Games, the start of which was solemnly announced by Putin, several sports were removed from the list of disciplines.
Initially it was promised to include 27 sports disciplines in the program, but shortly before the start of the games skateboarding, beach volleyball and beach handball were removed from the list - there were no participants for them.
Soccer and basketball had to be transformed into soccer and basketball "dual meets", and synchronized swimmers will perform solo programs at the games.
The Games are being held for the fifth time, but for the first time on the territory of Russia. The organizers claim that representatives of 90 countries take part in the BRICS Games.
In addition to the BRICS countries, the competition includes Abkhazia, Afghanistan (its flag is missing from the website for some reason), South Ossetia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Srpska (an autonomous part of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Among the invitees: North Korea, Palestine, Iraq and even EU countries - France, Italy, Germany, but not a single athlete came from them.
Sambo wrestlers from Georgia were announced among the participants, but the Georgian Sambo Federation denied it.
"Both athletes are in Georgia and have not traveled anywhere. No normal Georgian would go for such a thing, especially our athletes," the Federation said.
The Finance Ministry has allocated more than 14.5 million dollars for the BRICS Games.
The International Olympic Committee called on other countries not to recognize and not to count the results of the BRICS Games, and recommended athletes not to participate in competitions in Russia until the end of the war.
The Association of International Federations of Summer Olympic Games made the same statement.
